Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Last year I wrote about Halloween here but this year it's all about fall...pumpkins, deer hunting and football, baby!!

Don started the hunting season off perfect!! During the first hour of the new season he shot a 9-point buck. Important, he did it in one shot only!!

Shooting the buck is only one objective of deer hunting, the other is telling all your buddies all about it. Some people are more fun to tell than others, like Zack. He so appreciates a good story, and he can tell a good one too. Football rules. Really. You know...the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat. The Saints fans are fervent. We're not big on New Orleans, or LSU, but hey, good luck to them. We've been concentrating on Cowboys. ;)

We went to watch McNeese play 2 weeks ago and it was a heartbreaker...such an effort, just to come up short. This week is another big game and we can't wait. As for the other Cowboys....I am forever and will always be a DALLAS COWBOYS fan!! Big D runs deep in my blood, and yes, Tom Landry is god. Bob Lily, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman...all revered names in this house.

I know that Thanksgiving Day (Cowboys vs. Saints) will be awesome!!! Don't miss the halftime show...Keith is performing. O happy day!! ;)

In other doings, my sister came to visit and we girls had a fun weekend. We went to eat, to a craft show, to a movie, and even saw our brother. It was beautiful weather too.

We hope the fine, fair, fall days will return soon. And speaking of days....today our littlest pumpkin turns 5 years old! Happy Birthday Kirra!! We love you!! ♥
And finally, here's a few pumpkins from our house. I painted this one and added a little mod podge.These are just cuties that I put on our table. They make me happy!!

I did a metallic glaze wash to this one. Trying to decide if I should follow suit and glaze a bigger one I'm putting by the front door.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Have you ever loved just the idea of something? That's how I feel about Indian Summer. Autumn is my favorite season of the year, I love it!!! And finally it's here!

From Wiki:An Indian summer is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs in autumn, in the Northern Hemisphere. It is characterized by a period of sunny, warm weather, after the leaves have turned following an onset of frost, but before the first snowfall.

So, we haven't had a frost (it's getting chilly), we won't have snow, most of the leaves haven't turned, but still we've had a period of glorious weather lately!

I was intrigued with Indians when I was a kid. We made a trip out west and passed through places with signs saying "Indian Reservation" and "Genuine Indian Handcrafted Jewelry" and the most fascinating of all, "Indian Trading Post". On my paternal grandmother's side I have an ancestor who was a Blackfoot Indian. I do. And my Aunt Helen (my favorite aunt, in case you missed the memo) and her husband adopted a baby boy who was Native American. He was just darling. He danced with an Indian group when he was young, and we got to watch him perform several times.

So in the spirit of Indian Summer and an interest in Native American culture, I jumped at the chance when Jennifer suggested we go to the 16th Annual Pow Wow at the Coushatta Indian Resort. It's a 3 day event, a large tribal gathering where Native American dancers, singers and drummers compete for top prize money. They come from all across the United States and Canada. The dancers wear handcrafted jewelry, beaded moccasins and colorful feathered regalia. They are stunningly beautiful.

I learned that all Pow Wows are sacred places and the Dancing Circle is blessed before they begin and is considered sacred ground until the Pow Wow is over. There are rules of etiquette that remind us to be courteous and respectful. Here's one:

Dancers wear regalia. (It is also sometimes called an outfit.) Referring to these beautifully handcrafted and ceremonially adorned items as ‘costumes’ shows disrespect. Often some of the articles comprising it are family heirlooms. Do not intentionally touch any part of it, especially the eagle feathers––they are sacred. If you see a lost eagle feather, do NOT pick it up! Notify the nearest Pow Wow staff member at once.

I love that...the pride and reverence they have in their heritage. And as much as I loved watching the dancers, I was fascinated with the drummers and singers as well.I don't know why we've never gone to the Pow Wow before, but I want to go next year. It was an awesome place to spend a beautiful fall day.